You wish you were a ... swim school teacher

Michelle Greer, aqua aerobics and swim instructor at McKeon's Swim School

I've been working as a swim instructor for nearly seven years. I'd always loved the water, I swam all the time as a kid.

I'd worked in office jobs for many years but I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted a job that would make me happy at the end of the day.

I'd always loved children too, so this seemed like a good fit.

I spend about 15 hours a week in the water, plus I teach aqua aerobics.

If I know it's a water day, I wake up and put on my swimmers and my bright yellow work shirt - no shower, no make-up, I don't even brush my hair.

I spend most of my shift teaching half-hour lessons. I mostly work with babies and preschoolers but once a month, I teach a special needs disabled adult too.

It's mostly about building a child's confidence in the water and giving them self life-saving techniques.

I also have a class of about 30 who do aqua aerobics.

I had a lady come up to me at the end of last year and say: "Thank you for being so sadistic ... I turn up every week ready to just go through the motions and you never let me do that". I guess that's a compliment!

I love the fact that I can work my job around my family, it is very flexible. It's the type of job you don't take home with you - there's very little stress and I work with a great group of people.

I think it's one of very few jobs that you actually get to say you truly make a difference.

We get messages from parents, saying their child fell in the pool but they were able to get to the edge safely and that's because of what we teach.

For a lot of kids, particularly babies, you're the first teacher they've had in anything so it's a real thrill to be able to make that connection.

You'll see these little kids at the shops and they don't recognise you straight away because you're wearing clothes and not sopping wet, but their eyes light up, they love seeing you.

People tell me all the time I have a cool job. I think it's the idea of not having to do your hair or wear shoes. It's also the chance to be in the water so much and to be with children, it's very fun.

People do ask me if my hands are constantly wrinkled from being in the water so much, but you just get used to it.

There's not many jobs where you get so much physical exercise at the same time you're working and that's important to me too.

Some children are fearful of being away from mum and dad while others have had a bad experience in the water and are really scared.

It can be tough for a couple of weeks but they generally relax.